The Florida Orchestra has announced several changes to augment its education programs. For its free youth concerts and music classes in Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties, the orchestra worked with Tampa Bay teachers to develop a 44-page teacher guide for this year’s concert theme, “Heroes,” including activities, composer bios, music terms, and more. The orchestra performs youth concerts in October, but teachers will use the lesson plans all year. The youth concerts will have their own dedicated conductor for the first time, new Assistant Conductor Daniel Black. The orchestra is in its second year of operating a teaching artist partnership in Pinellas public schools, and has hired violist Kaitlin Springer as the program’s second teaching artist, joining violinist Kristin Baird. In the partnership program, professional musicians split their time between work in schools and performing with the Florida Orchestra as extra musicians. Schools can apply to receive intensive instruction, and teachers at the partner schools receive professional development credit for working with the teaching artists. The Florida Orchestra encourages school groups to perform in the lobby before its concerts at partner schools. The cost of the partnership is split between the Pinellas County School District and the Florida Orchestra.
Posted September 21, 2018
